A Sober World Cup
 

The 2010 World Cup starts on Friday. I don't know about the rest of the world but England has gone mad for it. :c029:

Everywhere you go the English flag, the St George's cross is flying. All the stores are full of everything to buy you could possibly think of - if they can put the flag on it, it's on it and it's for sale!!

I've lived through some World Cups but I have never seen anything like this!

I don't even think there is much space in my local supermarket because they have had to make way for all the beer. Cases and cases of it stacked everywhere like never before. I'm actually glad that I am sober because I know what I would be doing if I wasn't - it would be a month of solid drinking and I am not even that interested in the football.

I am sure there will be plenty of people checking into SR when those around them are doing nothing but watching TV and drinking alcohol. It is possible to stay sober during the festivities and still enjoy the sport. We can all help each other do this.

For those who need some face to face support as well as online when everyone around them is drinking, do think about going to an AA meeting. You don't have to do anything at a meeting, you don't have to say anything. You will be welcomed in with a cup of coffee or tea and maybe something to eat.

You may have heard that we say a prayer in meetings but again you don't have to join in if it is not for you. No-one is going to make you say God or believe in him or anything else for that matter. The people in AA would rather any alcoholic was in a meeting safe rather than out there with everyone around drinking.

I know AA is not for everyone but even if you have ruled out for you for the long term, you are still welcome to come to a meeting if you need to get away from the drinkers and you are feeling desperate and alone. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.

I'm sure there will be plenty of AAs getting together to watch matches without drinking alcohol. The unity of the fellowship of AA can really save lives.

I am going to put a flag on my car now and look forward to enjoying what's going to happen in the next month, sober. Enjoy everyone :c011:

I've been looking forward to the world cup for ages now!! I always love the Euro championships and the World Cups.

This will be the first major Football event where I will be sober throughout.

I will not be watching the football in Pubs this year. That would have deeply pained me earlier in my sobriety but I have now reached a point of acceptance whereby I know that Pubs and World cup football just ain't for alcoholics. I ain't even gonna bother.

The last World cup and the Euro championship prior to that I watched every game in the pubs with my mates and I truly Loved every second of it. I was a real 'lads lad' and loved the sing-songs and madness when England Scored. i was up the front instigating it all! Pint in hand ready to throw in the air! (plastic cups obviously! haha)

I am glad I had those experinces but since then my drinking progressed to daily drinking for 2/3 days and well, I became an active alcoholic. My use of Cocaine really took off so an England game at the pub would have probably ended up costing me more than a ticket to S.Africa!! LOL. Well not quite but I bet I wouldn't have got much change out of £150-£200 quid.

I am looking forward to the Football and I am so grateful that the thought of not drinking doesn't bother me. I will say it again that what keeps me gratefully sober on these occassions is my total acceptance that without doubt I'm an alcoholic. Also that I have pride in being a recovering alcoholic rather than just another drunk.

If I drank watching the football then I wouldn't stop drinking and drugging for about 3 days. I would probably totally destroy my life in those 3 days too. The irony is that I enjoy the football more sober anyway.

Peace

Seems like a great plan and your move to acceptance is showing. "Pubs and World cup football just ain't for alcoholics", that's true when there are so many other places we can watch without the madness.


Enjoy the games. England are going to win this year - I just know it :e100:

First England game next sat...England 3 USA 1, or am i being over generous..that the US
Will score one goal...:rotfxko... any one else with game predictions...

You're very brave, Kerbcrawler. :)

Funny how your perception changes.

i used to love watching cricket.....sit there for hours.

8 cans of special brew and a whole day of cricket...heaven.

i tried to watch cricket sober...........man that is one boring game..lol....
i did ten minutes and had to turn over.....sending me to sleep.

Not a football lover........i notice its on the tv when my dear wife is cross because they have cancelled eastenders.....lol...or one of the other soaps.

Watching sports was always a big part of my drinking routine, and baseball is the sport I'd watch most while drinking.

The thing about baseball is that there is a game literally every night for six months straight. My team plays 5 or 6 nights a week, but even when they are off there is another game to watch. It's less of a celebratory drinking situation like the World Cup, and of a daily routine which flows so well with being an everyday drinker.

I quit drinking in the off season in January of this year. One of the things I worried about was losing baseball, night after night with beers. I was sure there was no way I could even watch it without drinking.

As the season started this year in April, I pretty quickly figured out that baseball, like everything else, is just as enjoyable sober as it is drunk. It's a new routine, drinking tea or soda instead, but I really don't miss alcohol a bit during games. Plus I can remember how the games end!

I'm looking forward to seeing people going through their first season of this without alcohol in the way.

On a more random note about the flags, I'm so used to seeing flags of any country but Canada when it comes to football!

A big football fan myself here and I agree, it's going to be bedlam. I have watched football matches in a pub sober before and I will again, but I completely understand why you wouldn't want to, the amount of people who are drunk beyond belief during the games (and consequently aren't sure what's going on) is ridiculous.

Intention, I absolutely loved your post. What you said about AA will be very helpful, I'm sure.

I'm not up with the World Cup, but just paid a visit to the FIFA site, so now I know a little - like that Spain is favored. (Yet England has a good chance too?) Maybe I'll pay attention this year.

The first time doing anything without getting soused is strange. I remember thinking eveything would always be boring from now on, like the holidays. What was really boring was being numb through it all and not even remembering half of it.

I can't wait for it - really looking forward. It's the first world cup where I have not been working so am going to make the most of it and watch the lot!

My neighbour is fanatical (and a practicing alkie) so I will need to avoid his clutches lol. Seriously he is OK - he always says "can't you just have a couple?" and I say what like you!? He is taking quite an interest in my sober time so maybe when he's ready.

Thanks for the post intention - it's good to hear it's possible to enjoy it all without drink!

Stu.

LOL, that's a good answer and gives him something to think about. Maybe when he is ready, he will ask you how to do it.

Since I live in the States, the time difference has always meant that the World Cup and European Championship involved a lot of daytime drinking for me. I remember having beers at 6AM when the World Cup was in Asia. What insanity! The truth is, becoming an alcoholic involves a gradual deterioration of what constitutes acceptable drinking behavior. The 2002 World Cup was definitely a big step in the wrong direction for me.

This will be my first sober World Cup from starting drinking in 1981. That's 7 pretty hazy World Cups.

Can't wait to watch as many games as possible from the comfort of my alcohol free home.

England has indeed gone flag crazy, it's reaching fever pitch and the expectation is pretty much off the scale again.

I think it could be the Dutch team's turn to be Champions. Just hope it's a peaceful tournament with no trouble and there's not too much alcohol/cocaine fuelled trouble in England.

Like many others, I think it will be the year of the underdog - not to win, but to go dramatically far.

So, go Korea Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, and Cameroon! Cote d'Ivoire is the better team but in a nightmare group, so I'll narrow it down to : Go Korea Republic and Cameroon!

I hope to watch it sober, one day at a time.

Won't it be cool to remember how THE GAME developed? Who made the big plays? And NOT be one of the "insane" people this time?

I know! I am a big sports fan, but my memories are so fuzzy when I was drinking. Wouldn't it be nice to cheer for this World Cup and remember why I cheered?

The best moments are unpredictable and don't always follow the winners to the gold medal game. I want to remember them this time.

Yes, the expectations are high here....I too hope there will be no trouble what with all the alcohol being drunk.

Enjoy your 8th World Cup, this time sober. You will look back on this one and still have all the memories of it.